Railway mail delivery device



July 3, 1945. BERNSTElN 2,379,412

RAILWAY MAIL DELIVERY DEVICE I Filed Oct. 5 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 v July3, 1945. P.-BERNSTEIN RAILWAY MAIL DELIVERY DEVICE Filed Oct. 5, 1943 3Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR .Paal ,Benzsfic'q. ATTO July 3, 1945. P.BERNSTEIN RAILWAY MAIL DELIVERY DEVICE V Filed Oct. 5, 19,43 3Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. M

ATTORNEY Patented July 3, 1945- {UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAILWAYMAIL DELIVERY DEVICE Paul Bernstein, Roanoke, Va. Application October 5,1943, Serial No. 505,071

7 4 Claims.

My invention relates to the delivery of railway mail, and particularlyto the delivery and reception of mail by a train in motion, at one andthe same time.

Devices have been made heretofore for the delivery and for the receptionof mail; but most of these'have not been found to be entirelysatisfactory, either practically or economically. The operation ofdischarging and receiving mail bags is not without risks to life andlimb, and to loss of equipment. A loaded mail bag may weigh from 25pounds to as much as '70 pounds; and the impact of such a bag; hurledeven at the moderate speed of 50 miles per hour, is considerable. impacthas been partly taken up by compression buffers of steel or of rubber orboth. Spring buffers are more enduring than are those of rubber; but therecoil from them is almost as severe as is the impact "of the load.

On single track roads, and on roads where there is no means for turninga car, the mail car'and its mail receiving and discharging equipmentwill not be positioned to receive and to discharge when moving in bothdirections. To meet this condition duplicate sets of receiving anddischarging apparatus have in the past been provided, which has added tothe cost and weight of the'apparatus and to the difficulty of operation.In many cases bags have been discharged by'simply throwing them out ofthe door; adangerous and an expensive custom.

This

Objects ofmy improved device for discharging i and for receiving railwaymail are: to provide a reversible device for the discharging andreceiving which may be used when the train or mail car is traveling ineither direction; to provide a device having similar and interchangeableparts to reduce the cost of equipment and of upkeep; to provide a devicewhich shall be inexpensive to make, and to maintain; and in which heavyimpacts and stresses shall be countered.

In the drawings:

Figure I shows my device arranged on the side of a mail car and when notextended for use.

Figure II is a vertical section on line a--b in Figure I.

Figure III is a View similar to Figure II, but

with the device extended for use in discharging and receiving mail bags.

Figure IV is afront elevation of my device'for discharging and receivingmail bags arranged on a standard beside a railroad track, but notextended for use.

"Figure'Vi's a side view ofthe device shown in Figure IV; but withpartsextended for discharging andreceiving mail bags.

Figure VI is a detail, to a larger scale, showing in'front elevation,andpart section, the discharging and receiving head.

Figure VII is the same detail as in Figure VI, but in plan, and partsection.

Figure VIII is the same detail as in Figure but is side elevation andpart section.

In Figures 1, II and III the numeral 2 indicates the open door of amailcar. A heavy rotatable bar 4 is supported inbearings .6, whichbearings are adjustable as to their-height upon the brackets 8. Upon thebar 4' is fixed the head I0, which head has a lower part [2, shown inFigure VI as fitted to it by dowel pins, or which may be fitted to headill-by other means as described later.

Attached to the lower part l2 of the head lllis.

to hold the arm 24 in a normally horizontal position, as shown in thedrawings, while) allowing movement'on the pivot 22, to be explainedlater herein. The hook-arm 20 extends a distance sufficient to catch amail bag hanging on the station standard when the hook-arm is thrownintothe position shown in Figure III.

on-the back of the head I0 is fixed a handle or lever 28. When theoperator pulls this handle down he swings the head ill with its partsfrom the position shownin Figures I and II to that shown in Figure III.

Pivoted at 9 in the recess "of the head 10 is a latch 30, designed toallow the bag to pass into-the-bight l4, and to prevent it bounding outof the said bight. On being struck by a bag, coining in from the rightas one views the drawings in'Figures I 'andVI, the latch is thrownto theleft; The bag having passed the latch 30 into the bight M, the latch 30will resume its outwardly extending position, to close the bight I4; andit will be restrained from iFur-' ther movement, to the right, by thelatch heel l3 Below the apparatus described above is a sec-- ond heavyrotatable bar "40, carried in bearings 42 which are adjustable onbrackets 44, bolted to the door framework of the mail car; as shown inFigures I, II, and III. a

On the bar'40 is fixed the arm 46;-*at the farther end ofwhich ispivoted at .48'the, arm 50.

I I in the lower part bag or to its supporting arms.

The arm 50 may be thrown over to one side or to the other side of thearm 46, coming to rest on the bracket 52. The arm 50 is of substantiallythe same length as the arm 24. Upon these two arms, when extended as inFigure 111, the mail bag is hung for delivery from the mail car. Atension spring 54 is arranged on arms 46 and 50 to hold the arm 50against the bracket 52. When bar 40, in Figure II, is rotated clockwise,the arms 46 and 50-are thrown from position shown in Figures I and-II tothat shown inFigure III. There is a reason for the use of the spring 26(Figs. I and VI) and of the spring 54? shown in Figure I. When the twoarms 24- and 50 are extended, as in Figure IlIjit is m'oreth'a'nswinging balance or the heads on bearings 6 and ofthe bar '46 on"bearings 42'.

A link 60 is'carried by arm 62, securedto bar 4; an'd by arm M' 'Securedto th'ebar-40Z When the operator" pulls downdn the leve'r n, the bar 4isrotated anti-clockwise; and a m t: i is thrown upwards; The link90"the'n pullsup "the arm 64; which" then rotates-bar 40 clockwise, and"throws the arm 46 to'the pbs'itionshown in Figure III. That is "to-say:by pulling the l'ever 28 down, the head I 0 with'itspartsare thrown intoposition to receive-a bag; and arms 2 3 and 50 areih pcisitibh to holda; bag for delivery. The-bag is shown in' dotted lines in Figures-IIIand V. This link motion is so proportioned tliatfth'e lower head and armwhen 01117- Wardly HS in Fi'gll'le Will Slightly dVe'rbal'iince' the'WighU-O'f' the upper head" and arm together with the' weight of the basu ported ona'r-ms 24 and 50'. This makes a' heatin balance between arms24 and 50; and thisbaianee. witli the spring controlled"give or arms-24 and 50 form a universal resilient suppoi ti for the mail xhag'whichwill give to any hor-i'zo'n l force 'exerted against th'e b'ag.

Figures Iv and "V show'ani-arrangement of parts like those shown inFigure-I except; for

the relative positions of thefdlivering and the receiving-"parts, whichare now-reversed asto thei'rapositions'one above the other.

In Figure IV the upper bar miscarried in:

bearings 12, andtb it-is fixed thetarm 14; to' the end'of whichispivoted-at' 'lithe arm' '16. From this arm: 18 is to he'hung the bagof mail Jtobe caught up-by the apparatus ion the? mail; car.

A lower'bar is carried in bearings 90;;and-

onthis bar isfixed thezhead'v'82, similar/to head I0, and' havinga;lower: part "84' similar to'part- I2 on headhlfl: Reo'eiving-bightfifi.is similar to bight I4; head '08' is similar top-headJ-B; hookplate- 90'toho'ok platte I8 and hook-arm 9,2 to hook-arm 20.v Also note thepivoted arm 94' similar to pivoted armq'il.

The parts soafarnotd-inrlfiguresrli andIV are interchangeable; :forinstance', lo'wer headt'ti. with its parts' I4, "5,18; 20, 24,fo'r'1owervhead'84 with its parts 86, 88, 90, 92, 94. Also thefarms 46*and,

50 are"interchangeablewith arms 14- and I6.

An exc'ep'tionis in the'upperhead Wand-the upper head 02, which differin shape somewhat, the latter being the narrower for economy of space;and in that to its upper end is fixed, or is made a part, the arm 83,which takes the place of crank 62 in Figure II.

To the bar I0 is fixed a crank I00, being an extension ofthe arm 14; andto the head 02 is fixed the crank 83, which is fixed on the bar I8. Tobar I8 is also fixed a lever 96, by pulling down on which the head 82 isthrown into its horizontal and operating position, shown in Figure V.

A cross-link I02 connects crank I00 to crank 89'at pivots 8-5 and 81 inthe manner shown in Figure V; so that when, by pulling down on lever 96;the head 82 is thrown upward into a horizontal .position,'the crank I00and arm 14 willbe thrown downward to a horizontal position. Stop platesIN and I03 limit the swing of the cranks I00 and 83.

The cross-link I02 is made elastic in its length, to compensate forchanges in the distance betweenpivots 85- and 81 when throwing thetipparatus into operating position, by means of the compression springI04 within tubular case lIlfi and-so-arranged under head I08of-link-member I-lIl that when the link is thrown from nonoperating tooperating position the change in length. will be compensated byincreased compression of the spring.

The operation is simple: a mail-bag to be delivered from car to stationis hung on extended arms 24 and 50, while the mail-bag to be deliveredfrom station to car. is hung on arms lfi and 94. The hook-arms 20 and 92are inthe extended position. As the train passes the station,the'hook-arm 20 (attachedto the mail car) seizes the bag hanging on armsI6 and 94, while the'hoo'k-a'rm 92 (attached to the station standard)seizes the bag hanging on arms 24 and 50. Turning now to Figures VI toVIII, inclusive, of' the'drawings: here is shown in larger detail theparts of the head I0, and of the hea 82; and particularly those featureswhich enable me to reverse the headsso-thatthey shall function when themail car is traveling up or down the line.

I have already described the reversing of the bag-holding arms5'0and'16-; but it is also neces sary to reverse the positions of arms 24 and94, as'we'll as the positions of hook-arms 20 and 92. This I do byreversing the lower heads I2 and 84- on their respective upper heads I0and '82. What has been said of the reversing' of head I2; on head I0applies also to the reversing ofhe'ad 84 on head 82.

Receiving hook-head It has secured in' it two rodsI1 and 19, which fitand slide in bores 2| and-23-'in lower head I2. Rod I9 does notnecessarilypass through lower head I2, but only forms a guide, toprevent head 16 turning on rod II. Rodl'l does pass through head I2; anda sufficient distance through'hea'd I2 to'support'a compression spring25, held in place by the head 21;

of which head more in detail later; A bag havingbeen caught by'hook-arm20, it is caught in the bight I4; and the impact between bag and head I6is taken up in part by the compression spring 25. through head I2 tosupport a second compression spring. The recoil of the head I6 due tothe spring 25 is severe. treating the head 21 as a piston, causing it.to slide with a neat fit-into an aircylinder 29. At apoint intermediatethe ends of the'cylin'der'29 is a small aperture 3| which allowscompressed air to escape from the cylinder until v the: said Rod I9 mayif desired be extended This I counteract by aperture is covered orpassed by the piston 21. The remaining air in the cylinder is then stillmore compressed by the head 21, and acts as an air-cushion to counteractthe force of the recoil.

It will also be noted that, by a judicious placing of one or moreapertures 3| in the cylinder 29, the impact of thebag and the recoil canboth be cushioned.

The upper head I and the lower head l2 part on the line 33. A heavy pin35 is seated rotatably in the bore 31. in lower head [2. An annulargroove 39 cut in pin 35 is engaged by pin 4| which passes through headl2, and which holds pin 35 in bore 3l'while allowing the head 12 toswivel on the pin 35.

The pin 35 also extends into the bore 43 in the upper head H); in whichbore-it is slidable but not rotatable. It is held from turning in headIn by cutting away its metal on one side, as at 45; so that pin 41,passing through head 10, shall prevent its turning, while allowing it toslide Within the bore 43.

When the heads l0 and I2 are together at the line 33 the upper end ofpin '35 extends into the upper end of the bore 43 in head II]. Alockingpin 49 passes through head In and also through the end of pin 35.The lower head I2 is thus held in contact with upper head H].

To prevent the turning of lower head l2 on upper head ll when they aretogether, as in Figures I and IV, I can use a rabbet-joint, ortongueand-groove, or the dowel pins shown in the drawings. These dowelpins, and 53, can be seated in-either head H] or l2 and enter holes 55and 5'! in the other.

Upon the arrival of the mail car at one end of the'trip, it is onlynecessary to remove lockingpin 49, pull down lower head l2 until stoppedby shoulder 59 of pin 35 engaging pin 41, swing head I2 on pin 35 untilits direction is reversed. Then push head l2 again up against upper head10, the dowel pins entering their seats; and reinsert the locking-pin49. This locking-pin can be secured in any simpl manner. I have shown apivoted lug BI, as a means for preventing accidental removal of thelocking-pin 49.

To lessen the cost of manufacture, when using die-castings instead ofusing the dowel pins 5| and 53 to make the connection between the headl0 and the lower head {2, I form a rabbet or tongue-and-grooved jointbetween the contacting surfaces of the two heads. This is a simple and astrong means for connecting the heads which can be made by die-castingswithout any further machine Work.

It is usual to fit spring-keepers to arms such as 24, '50, 16 and 94 forthe purpose of holding the bags in place, lest they be blown off the armby a strong wind. These keepers are not shown in Figure I, II, III, IV,V, and VIII, as the scale is too small; but in Figures VI and VII theyare shown on the arm 24 and are indicated by the numeral 1.

The herein described device for the receiving and the delivering ofrailway mail by trains in motion is automatic; it can be operated in anykind of weather. The operator does not have to aim it; when set it willoperatewithout further manipulation. On the train or on the ground anyinexperienced hand can set it. There is a 3 large clearance between the.device and the locomotive cab window, a want of which has in past timesled to serious accidents. The cost of the parts is small; and because ofthe interchangeability of parts the storage of few extra parts isnecessary andchanges are quickly made. The mail clerk is in no danger;and his work is expedited.

I claim: I 1. In a device-for receivingand for discharging railway mailbags: the combination of a main head attached to the mail car; a secondhead swiveled on the main head; a receiving arm adapted to catch a mailbag, and having an extension adapted to slide in the second head andprojecting beyond the second head; spring means on the said extensionadapted to absorb impact from the catching of the mail bag; cylinder andpiston meansfor absorbing the recoil of the impact absorbing means; andmeans for locking the swiveled head on the main head.

2. The combination of a main head attached to the mail car; a secondhead swiveled to the main head; a receiving arm adapted to catch a mailbag, and having an extension adapted to slide in the second head andprojecting beyond the second head; compression spring means on the saidextension adapted to absorb impact due to the catching of a mailbag;cylinder and piston means for absorbing the recoil of the impactabsorbing means; a supporting arm pivoted to the receiving arm andadapted to support a bag to be'delivered; spring means to hold thesupporting arm in position to deliver a bag; and means for locking theswiveled head to the main head.

3. In combination: a main head; a second head swiveled to the main head;means for locking and unlocking the swivel joint between'the second headand the main head; a receiving arm slidably attached to the second headand extending beyond the second head; means associated with thereceiving arm extension for absorbing impact from the catching of a bag;cylinder and piston means for absorbing recoil of the impact absorbingmeans; latch means pivoted in the second head and cooperating with thesecond head and the receiving arm to retain the caught bag.

4. In a railway mail delivery device: the com-. bination of a headmounted on a support and adapted to swing outwardly therefrom; a mailbag receiving arm slidably mounted on the head and having an extensionbeyond the head; means on the extension for absorbing impact ofa bag onthe arm; means on the extension for absorbing recoil of the impactabsorbing means; a bag holding arm pivoted on the receiving arm springmeans to control the position of the bag holding arm; a second headmounted on a support below the first head and adapted to swing outward-1y from its support; a second bag holding arm PAUL BERNSTEIN.

